Moisture deflector

ABSTRACT

There is provided an improved moisture deflector for use in wall construction of the type including a vertical mullion defining a frame pocket and interconnected horizontal members. The horizontal members are secured to the vertical by means of a shear block attached to the vertical mullion. A filler member snaps or secures to the vertical mullion and defines a glazing pocket for glass or other panels. A moisture deflector is positioned at each end of the horizontal structure member and extends over the upper end of the glazing pocket so as to direct moisture between the frame pocket and the filler member.

United States Patent Hemminger 1 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] MOISTURE DEFLECTOR2,706,543 4/1955 Kammerer ..52/455 X 72 I to mm H B h 3,139,703 7/1964Hilt ..52/97 1 men I 3,147,518 9/1964 Horgan, Jr ..52/455 x 3,266,2108/1966 Grossman ..52/235'X [73] Ass1gnee: American Metal Climax, Inc., I

New York, Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott 22 Fl 1 A 24 1970 AssistantExaminerHenry E. Raduazo 21: A N 4: 292 Attorney-Mason, Kolehmainen,Rathburn & Wyss Related US. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT 1 There isprovided an improved moisture deflector for [62] g l S: g gs b g 1969use in wall construction of the type including a vertical mulliondefining a frame pocket and interconnected horizontal members. Thehorizontal members 52/ are secured to the vertical by means of a shearblock [58] Fie'ld 456 475 attached to the vertical mullion. A fillermember snaps 52/ 665 or secures to the vertical mullion and defines aglazing pocket for glass or other panels. A moisture deflector ispositioned at each end of the horizontal structure [56] References Citedmember and extends over the upper end of the glazing UN STATES PATENTSpoclliet soda?l tgndirect ngoisture between the frame t 2,316,829 4/1943Zecca ..52/204 x P06 8 an e 1 er mem er 2,697,932 12/ 1954 Goodwin..52/97 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 1 2 I972 INVENTOR JAMESW. HEMMINGER ATTORNEYS MOISTURE DEFLECTOR The present invention relatesto a new and improved moisture deflector for use in a wall constructionand is a division of copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 815,633,filed Apr. 14, 1969 and now US. Pat. No. 3,527,012.

Commercial structures are known wherein vertical mullions are provideddefining vertical extending frame pockets for receiving snap-in faces orfiller members. Intermediate horizontal members may be providedinterconnecting adjacent vertical mullions. In certain types ofcommercial construction, the horizontal members but against the verticalmullions, and are secured thereto by any suitable means such as withshear blocks fastened to the vertical mullions. Glass or other panelsfit within the glazing pockets of the floors, and on the horizontalmembers, being locked in place with suitable glass stops.

Difficulty has heretofore been experienced with moisture collecting inthe glazing pocket defined in the horizontal members, such moisturerunning along the surface of the horizontal members and following theedge underneath the horizontal member, dropping loose in the glazingpockets of lower panels and eventually working its way to the interiorof the building. Thus, it would be desirable to direct moisture from theglazing pocket into the space formed by the vertical mullion and fillerwhere it may run down the open vertical channel of the mullion and bedirected to the exterior of the building.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved wall construction which overcomes the above-mentioneddifficulty.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedwall construction.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved moisture deflector for use in a building wall construction.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of animproved moisture deflector which would direct moisture from the glazingchannels of a wall construction to the space between the mullion andfiller thereof.

In accordance with these and other objects, there is provided animproved wall construction of the type including a vertical mulliondefining a frame pocket, a shear block attached to the vertical mullion,and an intermediate horizontal member connected to the vertical mullionby means of the shear block. Filler members are positioned in the framepockets to define suitable glazing pockets receiving glass or otherpanels.

In accordance with the present invention a moisture deflector ispositioned at one end of the horizontal structural member extending overthe outer ends of the glazing pockets in the filler to direct moisturebetween the frame pocket and the tiller member. Advantageously, themoisture deflector may be formed of flat sheet metal having long andshort sides, adapted to be folded so as to conform to the shape of thedeflector to either end of the horizontal mullion, and in one embodimentcontaining slots receiving the vertical flanges of the frame pocket toposition the deflector.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section view of a typical wall constructionemploying a moisture deflector according to the present invention:

. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section view of the wall construction ofFIG. 1, taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating some of the components of thewall construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating assembly of the moisturedeflector to the shear block of a vertical mullion;

FIG. 5 is a developed view of the moisture deflector;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of the moisture deflector for the end of thehorizontal mullion as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a moisture deflector folded in the complementarydirection for use at the other end of a horizontal structural member.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, thereis illustrated a wall construction in accordance with the presentinvention and formed of a plurality of vertical mullions 10, only one ofwhich is illustrated in the drawings, and interconnecting horizontalmembers 12. The horizontal members 12 in the illustrated embodiment eachinclude a frame member 13 and an interlocking glass stop 14. Moreover,each of the horizontal members 12 is fitted to the respective mullionl0, and is secured thereto by a shear block 16, fastened to the mullion10 in any suitable manner as by screws 17. The horizontal member 12 maybe secured to the shear block 16 in any suitable manner, as with thescrews 35.

The mullion 10 in the illustrated embodiment is of generally I-shape,having inwardly facing flanges 18 to define opposed frame pockets 19.The filler 22 may be snapped between the flanges 18, and to this end isprovided with suitable interlocking edge components 23 and 24. Theillustrated filler 22 is provided with an inwardly extending glazingpocket 25 having opposed gasket channels 26. The glazing pockets 26 areadapted to fix glazing gaskets 27 to secure glass or other panels 28. i

The interlocking parts of the horizontal member 12 also define a glazingpocket 30 provided with opposed gasket channels 31 for securing suitableglazing gaskets 32. The glass 28 normally would rest on a suitablesetting block 33 in a manner known in the art.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a moisturedeflector 40 positioned on the shear block 16 for directing moisturecollecting in the glazing pockets 25 and 30 to the frame pocket 19outside of the filler 22, as best illustrated in FIG. 2. Specifically,the moisture deflector 40 is formed of flat sheet metal, generallyrectangular in its developed form, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, thedeflector 40 defines a pair of long sides 40a and 40b, and a pair ofshort sides 40c and 40d. The short sides 40c and 40d have opposedinwardly extending slots 42 to receive a pair of flanges 18 of the framemember, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Additionally, the short ends 400 and40d include one or more pairs of slits 43 defining score marks forfolding a flange 44 along the inner end of the deflector 40. Additionalslits 45 may be provided intermediate the slits 43 to further definescore marks and facilitate in bending or folding of the flap 44.Moreover, the outside edge of the moisture deflector 40 includesadditional slits 46 and 47 and the inner edge 40a includes cuts 48 and49 extending inwardly a distance equal to the spacing of the slits 43and 45 to permit folding of the flange 44. Thus, the deflector 40 may befolded along its score marks to conform to the shape of the shear block16. Moreover, the deflector 40 may be folded with either side of itssurface up, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, thereby adapting thedeflector for use on either end of the horizontal member 12.

FIG. 4 illustrates the assembly of the moisture deflector 40 onto theshear block 16. Specifically, it will be noted that the slots 42 fit orreceive a pair of inwardly opposed flanges 18 of the mullion 10. Theflange 44 of the moisture defector forms a drip edge extending beyondthe glazing pocket 25 of a lower filler 22, as illustrated in FIG. 2.Preferably, a strip of mastic or other sealing compound 51 is positionedon each side of the moisture deflector 40 to prevent the creepage ofmoisture along the underside of the horizontal member 12 or between thedeflector 40 and the shear block 16.

It will be understood that the moisture deflector 40 is effective toprevent moisture accumulating in the glazing channels 25 and 30 frommoving along the lower surface of the components, or from dripping intothe glazing pocket 25 of a lower filler member. Thus, such moisture canonly move outwardly to the end of the deflector 40, and down the flange44 thereof. The flange 44 serves as a drip edge and directs moisturecollecting thereon into the space of the frame pocket 19 formed by themullion l and filler 22, so that such moisture can pass down the mullionto the bottom of the mullion where it will be deflected outwardly of thebuilding.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A blank for forming a universal moisture deflector for use indirecting moisture away from either end of a horizontal structuralmember of the type having a plurality of levels with at least one endsecured adjacent to a pair of spaced apart, inwardly directed flanges ofa hollow, vertical structural member; said blank comprising a flat sheetof metal of rectangular shape and having pairs of long and shortopposite sides; said short sides having opposed, inwardly extendingslots spaced between said long sides dimensioned for receiving saidflanges of said vertical structural member, said short sides havingopposed inwardly directed, longitudinally aligned slits spaced betweenone of said long sides and said slots for defining the ends of a flapfold line parallel of said one long side; said long sides having a pairof inwardly directed, spaced apart, and transversely aligned slitsdefining a pair of parallel riser fold lines adapted for the folding ofsaid blank into a Z-shaped configuration with an intermediate riser andend segments adapted to rest on the plural levels of said horizontalstructural member, said blank having longitudinal cuts transverselyintersecting said last mentioned slits along said flap fold line adaptedfor the folding of flaps along said one long side, normal to said endsegments and riser portion.

2. A universal moisture deflector for use in directing moisture awayfrom the end of a horizontal structural member of the type having aplurality of levels with said end secured adjacent a pair of spacedapart, inwardly directed flang s of a hollow, vertic structural member;said eflector formed of thin s eet material having a Z-shapedcross-section with an intermediate vertical riser and a pair of parallelhorizontal segments joining the upper and lower edges of said riseradapted to overly said levels of said horizontal structural member, eachof said horizontal segments having an inwardly directed slot in an outeredge for receiving an inwardly directed flange of said hollow verticalstructural member, said deflector having an L-shaped cross sectiontransversely of the direction of said Z-shaped cross section andincluding vertical edge flaps defining drip edges for dischargingmoisture from said horizontal segments, said deflector including pairsof spaced apart slits on opposite sides defining opposite ends of theupper and lower edges of said vertical riser and pairs of spaced slitson opposite sides of said slots defining the ends of a pair of flap holdlines.

1. A blank for forming a universal moisture deflector for use indirecting moisture away from either end of a horizontal structuralmember of the type having a plurality of levels with at least one endsecured adjacent to a pair of spaced apart, inwardly directed flanges ofa hollow, vertical structural member; said blank comprising a flat sheetof metal of rectangular shape and having pairs of long and shortopposite sides; said short sides having opposed, inwardly extendingslots spaced between said long sides dimensioned for receiving saidflanges of said vertical structural member, said short sides havingopposed inwardly directed, longitudinally aligned slits spaced betweenone of said long sides and said slots for defining the ends of a flapfold line parallel of said one long side; said long sides having a pairof inwardly directed, spaced apart, and transversely aligned slitsdefining a pair of parallel riser fold lines adapted for the folding ofsaid blank into a Z-shaped configuration with an intermediate riser andend segments adapted to rest on the plural levels of said horizontalstructural member, said blank having longitudinal cuts transverselyintersecting said last mentioned slits along said flap fold line adaptedfor the folding of flaps along said one long side, normal to said endsegments and riser portion.
 2. A universal moisture deflector for use indirecting moisture away from the end of a horizontal structural memberof the type having a plurality of levels with said end secured adjacenta pair of spaced apart, inwardly directed flanges of a hollow, verticalstructural member; said deflector formed of thin sheet material having aZ-shaped cross-section with an intermediate vertical riser and a pair ofparallel horizontal segments joining the upper and lower edges of saidriser adapted to overly said levels of said horizontal structuralmember, each of said horizontal segments having an inwardly directedslot in an outer edge for receiving an inwardly directed flange of saidhollow vertical structural member, said deflector having an L-shapedcross section transversely of the direction of said Z-shaped crosssection and including vertical edge flaps defining drip edges fordischArging moisture from said horizontal segments, said deflectorincluding pairs of spaced apart slits on opposite sides definingopposite ends of the upper and lower edges of said vertical riser andpairs of spaced slits on opposite sides of said slots defining the endsof a pair of flap hold lines.